STATE COLLEGE, Pa.--The James Madison men's golf team moved up one spot in the final round to tie for seventh at the 2011 Rutherford Intercollegiate. The two-day, 54-hole event, hosted by Penn State University, was played on Penn State's Blue Course (Par 71-7,202 yards), April 9-10 after the first round was pushed back a day due to weather.
The Dukes fired the team's best round of the tournament in the final 18, shooting a 14-over 298 to finish at 56-over 908 (306-304-298) with Loyola (Md.) and CAA-foe George Mason. Penn State won the tournament for the 22nd time in the 35-year history of the tournament, finishing at 28-over 880. Towson was runner-up at seven shots back at 35-over 887. William and Mary came in third with 44-over 896 and Army in fourth one shot back at 45-over 896. Delaware rounded out the top five teams with 53-over 905.
Sophomore Ryan Vince (Charlotte, N.C./Providence) led the team, finishing third after firing a 1-under 70 on the final round to finish at 5-over 218. His 54-hole total ties for the fourth-best effort on the season for the Dukes and was his third top-three finish this season. Junior Chad Mozingo (Culpeper, Va./Culpeper County) tied for sixth, posting a 3-over 74 on the last 18 for a total of 8-over 221. Junior Mike Smith (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Nease) finished in a tie for 45th after shooting a final round 6-over 77 for a total of 19-over 232. Rounding out the team score, junior Chris Wellde (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) and redshirt-sophomore Garrett Whitmore (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) tied for 70th with final scores of 28-over 241 with final rounds of 8-over 79 and 6-over 77, respectively. Playing as an individual, sophomore Rich Leeper (Chapel Hill, N.C./Carrboro) tied for 10th after shooting a 3-over 74 in each of the three rounds for a 9-over 222 total. Medalist T.J. Howe of Penn State finished the tournament with a total of 3-over 216 shooting rounds of 70-73-73.
The Dukes will head down to the CAA Championship April 22-24 at the Pinehurst Resort #6 in Pinehurst, N.C. The winner of the tournament will earn the conference's automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Regionals.
